Cyberattacks are targeting US water systems, warns EPA and White House

The Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa, PA (pictured) was targeted by a cyber onslaught past year. | Image: AP Photo / Gene J Puskar

The Biden medication is asking states to bolster information for h2o and wastewater systems, informing that utilities crossed the state are being targeted by “disabling cyberattacks.”

In a letter sent to each US governors connected Tuesday, the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cited ongoing threats from hackers linked with Iranian and Chinese governments, informing that akin attacks could disrupt entree to cleanable drinking h2o and “impose important costs connected affected communities.”

Environmental, Health, and Homeland Security secretaries person been invited to a meeting connected March 21st to sermon safeguarding requirements to support captious h2o infrastructure against cyber attacks. The EPA is additionally forming a Water Sector Cybersecurity Task Force to place vulnerabilities and physique connected recommendations made during the upcoming meeting.

“Drinking h2o and wastewater systems are an charismatic people for cyberattacks due to the fact that they are a lifeline captious infrastructure assemblage but often deficiency the resources and method capableness to follow rigorous cybersecurity practices,” reads the missive signed by nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan and EPA head Michael Regan.

The missive asks states to guarantee their designated h2o systems person been assessed for vulnerabilities, pointing to a database of actions recommended by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) that whitethorn assistance to amended security. “In galore cases, adjacent basal cybersecurity precautions – specified arsenic resetting default passwords oregon updating bundle to code known vulnerabilities – are not successful spot and tin mean the quality betwixt concern arsenic accustomed and a disruptive cyberattack,” the missive warns.

Hackers believed to beryllium affiliated with the Iranian authorities conducted attacks against US h2o facilities successful November that hadn’t changed the default manufacturing password connected communal operational exertion they were using. White House nationalist information authoritative Anne Neuberger said the incidental was a telephone to tighten security astir utilities, with the US Treasury sanctioning six Iranian Armed Forces officials liable for the attacks successful February.

The missive besides referenced threats posed by Volt Typhoon, a Chinese state-sponsored radical that was revealed successful February to person compromised accusation astir US drinking h2o systems.